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AN EXAMINATION OF 



OLD MAPS OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, 



WITH REFERENCE TO 



The Identification of tlie Nutley Area, 



Washington's Route Across It, 



AND TO 



THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE BETWEEN NEWARK 
AND ACQUACKANOM. 



By Elizabeth Stow Brown. 



PATERSON, N. J.; 

THE PRESS PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO., 269 MAIN STREET. 
1907. 



AN EXAMINATION OF 



OLD MAPS OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, 



WITH REFERENCE TO 



The Identification of the Nutley Area, 



AND 



Washington's Route Across It, 



AND TO 



THE BOUNDARY DISPUTE BETWEEN NEWARK 
AND ACQUACKANONK, 



By Elizabeth Stow Brown. 



PATERSON. N. J.: 

THE PBliSS PRINTING AND PUBLISHING CO., 269 MAIN STREET. 
19 7. 



ONE HUNDRED COPIES 
Reprinted from Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society. Third 
Series. Vol. IV.. January, 1907. 



ev 



Ixf-rrv.lruJUcrvV, 



An Examination of Old Maps of Northern New Jersey 

with reference to 

The Identification of the Nutley Area and Washington's 
Route across it, and to the Boundary Dispute between 
Newark and Acquackanonk. 



By Elizabeth Stow Brown. 



Nutley, formerly called Franklin, was the northeastern 
part^ of the Newark Tract purchased from the Indians in 1667. 
The Yantacaw or Third River divides the town of Nutley into 
two nearly equal parts, and from its mouth was surveyed the 
old north line of the Newark Tract of the " Indian Bill of 
Sale." The early settlers and surveyors attached great im- 
portance to water supply and water power. This little 
stream, that rises near First Mountain and empties into the 
Passaic ahout ten miles from its mouth, did not escape their 
notice. Hence an identification of Third River on old maps, 
identifies the Nutley Area. The old north line of the Newark 
Tract is now the northern boundary of Essex County (estab- 
lished 1S37) ' ''*'^*^' ^^^^ eastern portion of this line is the north- 
ern boundary of Nutley to-day. (See History of Nutley^ 
compiled by Elizabeth S. Brown.) 

The maps of Northern New Jersey examined have been 
found in the New Jersey Historical Society, in the New York 
Historical Society and in the Lenox Library, New York. 
They are comprised in the Bancroft Collection, the De Witt- 
Thornton Collection, and the Ford Collection in the Lenox 
Library; the De Witt Collection of the Erskine manuscript 
maps at the New York Historical Society; the Atlas to Sted- 
man's History of the American War (British), and the Atlas to 
Marshall's Life of Washington, in the Lenox Library. The 
maps have also been examined in the Elizabelhtown Bill in 

1 Area about four square miles. 



4 THE NUTLEY AREA. 

Chancery (1747), and in other standard works upon the his- 
tory of New Jersey. The large maps, most of which are 
included in the great atlases of JeftVeys and Faden, are splen- 
did engravings on copper, many of them colored. Their 
artistic cliarm certainly enhances their antiquarian interest; 
and in some cases, at least, their greater value lies in this 
direction. 

The earliest map of New Jersey known is tiiat of A. Van- 
derdonck, 1656. It is a curious document, evidently made 
up from fishermen's tales. Dutch surveyors of the early days 
perhaps did not care to penetrate the interior of this wild 
land. We find here the Esopus River connecting the Dela- 
ware and the Hudson, and the Passaic pursuing a perfectly 
straight course from its source to its mouth. This map has 
been repeatedly copied. Whitehead {East Jersey under the 
Proprietors^ says that it was also the foundation of Ogilby's 
map of 1671, and others later. Our Third River does not 
appear on this map. 

No maps of the Proprietary Period, except that of the 
Qiiintipartite Deed, are found in the libraries of this region. 

In the De-Witt Thornton Atlas, Lenox Library, there is a 
"New Map of New England, New York, New Jersey and 
Pennsylvania," undated and unsigned, which has sorne fea- 
tures as grotesque as that of Vanderdonck's. Such is the con- 
nection of the Passaic and the Hudson by a large branch. 
First, Second and Third Rivers are put down, and " Copper 
Mine" (Schuyler's) opposite Second River. "Copper Mine" 
appears on many old maps where no other place-name in the 
region is noted. As "Copper Mine" was not opened till 1719, 
this map must be later than that date. 

After the English surveyors came, attached to the staff" of 
Royal Governors, or to the British Army, fairly good maps 
appear. The three small tributaries of the Passaic were duly 
considered and the detail of the physical outline of the neigh- 
borhood, the three ridges, was not overlooked. The River 
Road was often put in when even the three rivers were omit- 
ted. John Hills, Second Lieutenant, 33rd Regiment, made 
the most important maps of the country hereabout, some of 



THE NUTLEY AREA. 5 

them several years before the Revolution. Major Holland, 
Surveyor-General of the Northern District in America, drew 
some of the maps in JefiVeys' great "American Atlas," folio, 
1776. The maps of Stedman's "History of the American 
War" (British) are most of them Hills'. Some of Hills' maps 
are also found in the " Atlas of Battles ot the American Revo- 
lution." The " North American Atlas " (Wm. Faden, 1777) 
is a collection of maps many of which w^ere surveyed by Sau- 
thier and Ratzer. We find here three very interesting maps of 
this locality. No 16 by Sauthier shows First, Second and 
Third Rivers, Newark and Acquackanonck, and the hills of 
Northern New Jersey, even our hills outlined. No. 19, also 
by Sauthier, shows the " Engagement at White Plains and 
operations following." The American Army is shown cross- 
ing Acquackanonk Bridge and going down the River Road to 
Newark. The route of Cornwallis from Fort Lee is also 
given. Map No. 20 shows on a very large scale " Passaick 
River, Newark and Acquackanonck," River Road, and Sec- 
ond and Third Rivers. This is dated 1776. Map No. 34 is 
that from the boundary survey made by " Bernard Ratzer, 
Lieutenant in the 60th Regiment, with Gerard Banker and 
others," by order of the Commissioners " appointed to settle 
the partition line between the provinces of New Jersey and 
New York." First, Second and Third Rivers are down and 
the hills are outlined. The River Road is given and Copper 
Mine. 

V\ hitehead in his paper in 1859 on " Circumstances leading 
to the establishment in 1769 of the Northern Boundary line 
between New York and New Jersey," speaks of the following 
engineers and surveyors by name : Anthony Dennis, T. Mil- 
ledge, David Rittenhouse, Captain John Montresor, and in- 
timates that there were others not named. Whitehead gives a 
description of surveys which " were incorporated into one 
o-eneral map." He says also: "It is presumed that this map 
was constructed, but whether now in existence or not, has not 
been ascertained. From the details it must have contained it 
would be a valuable acquisition could it be found." While 
this Map No. 24 of Faden's North American Atlas seems to 



6 THE NUTLEY AREA. 

answer the description, it cannot be the one referred to, for 
it would have been accessible to Whitehead when he wrote in 
1859. I fi"*^ ^^^° ^ second edition of this map, detached, at 
the N. Y. Historical Society. A note says "In this second 
edition Great Use has been made of several Military Surveys 
generously communicated by officers of the British Troops and 
of the Regiments of Hesse and Anspach." 

A map of Hills, No. 3 in Stedman's "Atlas of the History 
of the American War," showing certain " operations of the 
Royal Army" "in East and West Jersey," shows Newark, 
"Lit." (Little or First?) River, Second River, Third River, 
and upon the last, four dots denoting dwellings. 

In Washington's Writings, (Vol. IV., p. 266, Jared 
Sparks Ed., 1S34) is an exquisitely engraved map showing 
Washington's crossing of the Passaic River and the camp at 
Newark, with the line of march down the River Road in 
dotted lines. 

The "Atlas to Marshall's Life of Washington," published 
in 1807, has a map showing the positions of the American and 
British Armies after crossing the North River in 1776, "drawn 
by S. Lewis from Surveys, by order of General Washington." 
The River Road from " Aquakununk " to Newark is plain, 
but the tliree lower branches of the Passaic are omitted. 

In the early part of the Revolution Washington evidently 
had at his command certain maps of the British surveyors 
widely published by this time. But they must have been very 
inadequate, for the best of the British maps are dated during 
or just after the war. Robert Erskine, F. R. S., was made 
Geographer and Surveyor-General to the Continental Army in 
1 77S, dying within two years after. He had made some sur- 
veys for Washington before then, since one map is known, 

dated 1777^ 

The Erskine maps are of unusual interest, not only be- 
cause they are in manuscript and but a few of them have been 
published, but also because they are said, on the best authority, 
to be perfectly accurate surveys. 

Robert Erskine was the son of the Rev. Ralph Erskine of 
Dunfermline in Scotland, whose tomb may be seen at Dry- 



THE NUTLEY AREA. IJ 

burgh Abbey. Young Erskine, unsuccessful in mercantile 
pursuits in London, came to America to become manager of 
the iron mines of the London Company in 1771 or 1772 
{Anuals of Morris County . — Rev. J. F. Tuttle). The 
London Company owned extensive tracts of land at Ringwood, 
Long Pond (Greenwood Lake) and Charlottenberg, at each of 
which places they had erected furnaces and forges. The iron 
works known as the " Sterling Iron Works" had existed for 
many years before this. Charles Clinton's Field Book, 1735 to 
1749, which covers his surveys of the region, mentions iron 
works here as early as 1745. The old Sterling Furnace, where 
a part, at least, of the West Point Chain was forged, was set 
up in 1 75 1. (See Ste^-liug Furnace and the West Point 
Chain., by Macgrane Coxe.) 

A large number of Robert Erskine's papers are in the New 
Jersey Historical Society, his diaries, account books and let- 
ters. The letters to his family and friends in Scotland tell of 
the aflairs of the London Company, of the growth of the 
revolt of the colonies, of his disapproval of the policy of Par- 
liament, of the development of his interest in the wrongs of the 
colonies, and of his final determination to embrace their 
cause. Erskine applied to the general Congress after the war 
began to have the men of the London Company exempt from 
militarv duty except in special emergencies. He had a com- 
pany of his own organized, equipped, drilled, and ready on 
short notice to march. He received a Captain's commission 
Aug. 17, 1775. Erskine died at Ringwood, Oct. 2, 17S0, at 
the age of 45. His grave is about a quarter of a mile from the 
ruins of the old Ringwood Furnace, near the road leading to 
West Milford. Beside him lie the remains of his faitiifLd 
clerk, Robert Monteath. 

The Erskine Maps, in manuscript, in the N. Y. Historical 
Society, were dated between 177S and 17S0. Nos. 47,48, 79, 
and several others are good maps of this region. It will be 
remembered that Washington regarded Passaic Bridge as a 
strategic point of importance, and the region round about was 
carefully surveyed. 

Map No. 79 B is entitled " From Newark thro' Aquack- 



b THE NUTLEY AREA. 

nonk to Gotham."' Third and Second Rivets are shown, 
and between are a list of lioinesteads, taverns, and a store- 
house. From north to south the names read, " Vandyke, 
Halfmoon Tavern, Kingsley, Sherman's Tavern," (just at 
mouth of Second River), and "Storehouse, Stephen Cort- 
landt," (up Second River from its mouth). The names of 
Vandyke and Kingsley are unknown by tradition or record, as 
river front residents of the Revolutionary days, and their re- 
semblance to Van Riper and King who did belong there, sug- 
gests that the scout-surveyors might have mistaken names. 
There is one other Erskine map, of which a photograph in a 
sale catalogue was shown to me at the N. Y. Historical Soci- 
ety. The map was sold at Libbie's, May 15, 1906.- It is 
dated 1777 and is inscribed, "delineated for the use of His 
Excellency General Washington." Second and Third Rivers 
are plainly given, as well as the River Road, even to its curve 
at Delawanna. 

Three maps showing the region between Passaic and New- 
ark are found in the News' History of Passaic. It is stated 
that they were copied by special permission from maps in the 
War Department at Washington. They are Royal Army 
maps. The third is a map of Hills'. The first and third show 
First, Second and Third Rivers and the Kiver Road. They 
are dated 1779, 1776, 17S1. 

The maps in the Bill in Chancery are three. The third 
only shows First and Second Rivers, and the mouth of Third 
River. 

Whitehead in '•'■ East yersey under the Proprietors'" 
(1846; 2d ed. 1S75) has a map marked, "Map of the Settled 
Portion of East Jersey about the year 1682." It is made up 
from historical data, and one feature gives it a special interest 
for us, for Third River is made the boundary line between 
Newark and Acquackanonk. This is the only acknowledg- 
ment of that boundary line that 1 have found in maps. The 
inquiry about the boundary dispute started from this map. 
Then followed a search of older maps and records accessible, 
and inquiries as to local traditions. 

1 Not Manhattan, but a small settlement near the present Clifton, 
li Sale price $56C. 



THE NUTLEY AREA. 9 

The southern boundary of Acquackanonk is described in 
the Acquackanonk Patent as '' Beginning from the northern- 
most bound of the town of Newark, from the lowermost part 
thereof to the uppermost as far as the steep rocks or mountains, 
and from thence," etc. The north boundary of Newark in the 
Indian Bill of Sale was " from the mouth of Third River 
northwest to the mountain." Acquackanonk claimed down to 
Third River. Newark asserted her rights up to the old north 
line of the Indian Bill of Sale. This disputed area was about 
half the present Nutley territory, and as such its history con- 
cerns us. 

In the Newark Town Records there are several references 
to the dispute. 

P. 7S. — Town Meeting, May 3, 16S0. — "•It is agreed that 
there shall be a Committee chosen, to petition the Deputy Gov- 
ernor and Council to enlarge and settle our Town Bounds. 
And by Reason we have been hindered and deprived of the 
Neck and Hackquekanung also ; we desire to have it made up 
in that Land and Meadow called Poquanuck, and to have a 
charter for the whole." A committee was appointed for this 
purpose. 

P. 94. — Town Meeting, March 32, 16S3-4. — '^Azariah 
Crane, Joseph Riggs, Edward Ball and Samuel Harrison, are 
chosen to lay out the Bounds between us and Hockqueck- 
anung, and to make no other agr>iement with them of any otJier 
Bounds than xvhat zvas formerly.''' 

P. 138. — Town Meeting, March nth, 171S-19. — ''They 
have also agreed to renew the Line between Newark and Ack- 
quackanong, the tirst Monday in April next." 

P. 13S.— Town Meeting, April 6th, 1719. — "The Line 
was then Renewed, and there was present from Newark" 
(9 names) " from Acquackanong " (3 names) . 

References to the boundary dispute are also found in the 
New Jersey Colonial Documents, N. J. Archives, Vol. XIII. 

p. ^^i^ —On the '• I 7th of March, 170S. At a Council held 
at Perth Amboy." " The Petition of the Inhabitants liveing 
above the towneship of Newarke Setting forth as p'" the Peti- 
sion that they have Sufred Severall hardshipps from the said 



I 



lO THE NUTLEY AREA. 

towneship of Newarke from which they desired Releife." The 
Council then ordered that the " Inhabitants of the Towneship 
of Newarke have a Coppy of this Petition and that they Attend 
this board with their objections against it if they have any on 
Tuesday Next." 

P. 316.—" 23d March 170S. At a Councill held at Perth 
Amboy." The Acquackanunck and Newark men were pres- 
ent and were heard. The Council ordered that the matter be 
referred to a later dav and that " they be heard by Councill 
on booth sides." 

P. 324. — "30th March 1709. At a Councill held at Perth 
Amboy." - - - " The Petissioners of Acquiconunck " and 
the "•people of Newarke" appeared by their counsel and 
were fully heard. Then it was ordered " that the Petis- 
sioners doe Cause an exact survey of the boundaries of the 
lar.d that they desire to have joyned to Acquicanunck and 
seperated from Newarke." Surveyors for both sides were ap- 
pointed to make this survey and to repoit to the Board. 

"The Van Houten Manuscripts" were a barrelful of 
papers discovered in the garret of an old New Jersey mansion. 
They were deciphered, copied and published by Mr. William 
Nelson, who thus speaks of the papers relating to the Bound- 
ary Dispute : 

" The 'Dispute as to the Boundary Line between Acquack- 
anonk and Newark, 1792-95 (pp. 63-65) ' ''''^<-' been a stand- 
ing grievance between the people concerned for fully three- 
quarters of a century before this time." 

Among the Van Houten manuscripts are records of a num- 
ber of surveys (1792-1795), two of which are of lands on this 
part of Third River. Also a receipt which reads : 

" Received New Ark Septr. 15th, 1792 of Mr. Paul Pow- 
lisson the Sum of Ten Shillings for Going to Elizabeth Town 
with him and taking a Coppy of a Map for him of the Division 
Line betwixt New Ark and Acquackenonck by me. 

Joseph Thornton." 

On P. 64 is another receipt : " Reed of Henry Garritse Jun 
& Paul Powlison in Behalf of the Patentees of Acquackonunck 
Township the sum of thirty Shillings as a Retainer in an 



THE NUTLEY AREA. it 

Action which it is supposed will be brought by them against 
the Possessors of disputed Lands lying on the north side of the 
Liite between New Ark & Acquackanonk. 

New Ark, Jany 14th 1793 

I, Ludlow Ogden for 

David A. Ogden." 

Also on P. 64 is a copy of a subpoena that was written on 
parchment, summoning witnesses in a suit for "Trespass and 
Ejectment" between Abraham Van Riper and others and 
Francis Van Winkle and others, before the Supreme Court to 
be held at " New Ark," Oct. 6, 1795. 

Through the courtesy of Mr. Nelson, as State Commis- 
sioner of Records, a search was made of the Supreme Court 
Minutes and papers on file from 1792 to 1797. Copies were 
furnished of the declarations, certificates and court orders re- 
ferring to these suits. 

In the case of the receipt for a retaining fee, the suit 
"supposed" was evidently brought. In the records of the 
New Jersey Supreme Court, April Term, 1792, there is found 
a " Declaration in Ejectment for Lands in Essex County," by 
Francis Van Winkle, Jacob Van Wagoner and Rachel his 
wife, Cornelius Enoch Vreelandt and Margaret his wife, 
Henry Garrison, Jun., John Garrison and Abigail Gar- 
rison against Abraham Van Ryper, or John Abraham Van 
Ruyper. 

The suit to which the subpoena of three years later belongs, 
seems to be the same suit renewed or reversed. In the 
Supreme Court Minutes, 1795, is an order for Jurors to " view 
the premises" in dispute between Francis Van Winkle and 
others and Abraham Van Ryper and others on September 
22nd. Then follows the certificate of the sherift", Benj. Wil- 
liamson, that he made them " to have view," and the names of 
the jurors. Another fragment, not dated individually, but in 
"memoranda 1796-1797" refers to a postponement of the 
same suit, " In Tresspass and Ejectment for Lands in Essex 
County," between "John Ab'™ Van Riper and others, and 
Francis Van Winkle and others," 

After this, nothing more can be found. The description of 



13 THE NUTI-EY AREA. 

the location of the "premises" is very vague. It would be 
impossible to identify it, except by the names, and hardly then 
with any certainty. These suits are believed on good author- 
ity, however, to belong to the boundary dispute of this area. 

With this glance over old maps and old papers there seems 
to be no doubt that the Nutley Area was well identified in the 
minds of the old surveyors. They noted well the rapid mill 
stream and the wooded slopes and the easy River Road follow- 
ing the bank of the Passaic, then most charming of rivers. 
Washington's route down the River Road to Newark is 
shown in a number of maps. It was an accepted fact and an 
important one as a link in the chain of the Retreat. The 
boundary dispute for more than a century has been forgotten, 
its rancors dead, its suits long dropped or settled. It rises to 
the surface only by chance or diligent search, atid then only to 
fldd to the antiquarian interest of the Nutley Area, 



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